Card-feed for statistical card-accounting machinery.



J. POWERS. CARD FEED FO'R STATISTICAL CARD ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED, MAR. 18, 1916. v

' Patented Dec. 31, 1918,

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v fi a'inesaaa J. POWERS. CARD FEED FOB STATISTICAL CARD ACCOUNTING MACHTNERY.

7 APPLICATION FILED MARJIB, I916. 1,289,538. Patented Dec. 31,1918.

6 s'mzms-snesr 2.

1. POWERS.

.CARD FEED STAIISHCALCARD ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED MIAR. 181.1916.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 31 J. POWERS CARD FEED FOR STATISTICAL CARD ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- I8. I916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

win/ease 19206125 LPQWERS.

CARD FEED FOR STATlSTICAL CARD ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

' APPLICATKON FILED MAR. \s. 1916.

Patented Dec. 31,1918.

6 SHEETSSHEET 5.

2061450/2 Wit/2655a Jame; Fame/1s.

' half J. POWERS.

I CARD FEED FOR STATISTICAL CARD ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

I APPLICAUON FILES MAR, l8, IQIS. 1,289,538,, Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

shown in Fig. 2.

s PATENT o ASSIGNOR, T0 POWERS ACCOUNTING MACHINE Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CARD-FEED FOR STATISTICAL CARD-ACCOUNTING MACHINERY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES Powers, a

citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Feeds for Statistical Card AcCOunting Machinery, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to card feeds in general, and more particularly to a method for feeding perforated cards to accounting machines and the apparatus for carrying out such method.

The present invention contemplates the method of feeding cards through a machine whereby the cards may be carried into the machine in a vertical position and again discharged in a vertical position, such vertical ositioning of the cards greatly facilitating the manipulation of the cards both when supplying the machine with cards and removing the cards therefrom after having been discharged, the cards being discharged. in the same consecutive order as conveyed into the machine. It is further contemplated to provide a method and apparatus for carrying out such method whereby the cards may be received in a vertical position, deflected into a horizontal position to be analyzed, and then defiected back to vertical position and discharged from the analyzing mechanism.

These and other features, capabilities an advantages of the present improvement wil a pear from the subj oined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a printer tabulator equipped with the present improvement. I I

Fig. 2 is a fra ental side elevational view of the printer tabulator showing the initial card feeding means partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism Fig. 4: is a fragmental end elevation, partly in section, showing the initial card feeding means.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation showing the card-discharging means with a cardacking means in card-receiving position.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation with the printer Specification of Letters Batent.

tabulator removed, showing the discharging means.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental view, partly in section, along the line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view showing the card-packing means of the discharging means in packing position.

In the embodiment shown, the apparatus comprises essentially a main rame A for an accounting machine, of the printer tabulator type to the rear on of which is formed an auxiliary frame B having a bracket 11 on which are formed two parallel bed rails 12, on which the edges of the cards C rest, being vertically supported thereon and extending across the same, and on which the lower edge of the follower 13 also rests, the front face of which follower is preferably provided with a pad 14, or the like, for contacting with the cards C. The rear face of said follower 13 is provided with the bearings 15 through which the shaft 16 extends, the ends of which shaft 16 are secured in the forward extensions of the lateral portions 17 of the transverse plate member 18, the lateral portions 17 being connected to one another by the transverse bar 19 The lateral portions 20 for engaging the guide-rails 21 secure and disposed above the bed rails 12.-

By the foregoing arrangement, it is thus seen that the follower 13 pivotally connected to the plate member 18. Medially of the bar 19 there are formed two rearward bearings 22 for the shaft 23 which extends through the vertically extending slot 24 formed in the walking pin 25, the upper ortion of which is resiliently connected to the collar 26 formed on the shaft 16 by the coil spring 27, and the ldwer end of which is connected by the fiat loop-spring 28 with the transverse ar 19 by means of which the upper portion of the pin 25 will be resiliently strained against the rearwardly extending plate portion 29- formed on the transverse bar 19. The plate portion 29 is adapted. to engage the notch 30 formed in the pin 25 when the pin is raised into. idle position with the lower end of its slot 24 engaged by the shaft 23. The lower end of the pin 25 is formed into a rack-engaging finger 31 with an inclined face/32 on its forward side, such finger being adapted to engage the rack 33 when the pin 25 is released dto ' Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed March 18, 1916. Serial No. 85,130.

17 are provided with grooves 38 is provided, which is fixed to lowered by the in its depressed or active position, the rack 33 being slidably supported on and guided in the brackets 34 and 35, the bracket 34 being secured to the cross-piece 36 fixed to the rear ends of the bed rails 12, and the bracket secured to the main frame A. The rack 33 is provided with teeth 37. the rear faces of'which are inclined, while their front faces are substantially vertical, the arrangement being such that the finger 31 may ride over the teeth on the rearward reciprocation of the rack 33 but be engaged and rocked on the forward reciprocation of the rack For reciprocating the rack the finger the shaft 39 mounted in the bearings L0 and secured to the bed rails 12, the lower edge of the rack 33having a notch 41 formed therein to receive the finger 38. The shaft 39 has fixed thereto a forwardly extending arm which is pivotally connected to the vertically reciprocating' link 43, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the rearwardly ex tending arm 41% of the bell-crank otally mounted on the shaft 16 and having a forwardly extending arm 47, to the front end of which is secured a cam roller 48 for engagement with the cam-groove 49 of the cam 50 fixed to the main driving shaft 72.

The main frame A on either side of the card-receiving end of the bed rails 12, i provided with upwardly extending side members 51 extending upward to the height of the cards O, on the upper edges of which are secured the guiding plates 52 which oxtend inwardly across the path of movement of the cards C, the r ar ends of which are flared upwardly to facilitate the passage of the cards thereunder. Vertically reciprocable between the guideplates 52, is provided a 1)icker-brackc't 53 on which is formed the card picker-plate 5%, the bracket 53 being pivotally connected to the upper end of the link i3. The ends of the brackct 53 are guided between the fingers 55 and 56-formed on the side members 61, the rear faces of the fingers 55 being inclined so that their lower edges extend a little rearwardly of 'the picker-plate 54, while their upper edges are in alinement with the picker-plate 54. There is provided an adjustable block 57, the front face of which is inclined to cooperate with the rear faces of the fingers 55, to the lower end of which block 57 is secured the elnrved deflecting plate 58 with which the rollers 59 and 60 coiiperate to deflect the cards C, as they are picker-plate 54, to the feed roller 61 by which such cards are fed into analyzing position for setting the printer tabulator.

After the cards C have been analyzed, theyare conveyed by the roller 61 to the rollers 62 and 63, the upper roller 62 being dlsposed forwardly of the roller 68 and with 45 pivthe lower levels of their peripheries eXtend ing down below the upper levels of the peripheries of the rollers 63 so that the cards 0 may be deflected downwardly by such rollers 62 and 63 onto the i'ockable deflecting plate ti t, such plate Get also serving as a cardpacking member. I

The deflecting plate 6% is secured to the shaft 65 and journalcd in the rear end of the bed rails 66 of the bracket 67 extending forwardly of and secured to the main frame A, such plate til, when disposed in its rearward position, being inclined to receive the cards C from the rollers 62 and 68, and when disposed in its forward position being substan tially vertical. thereby carrying the cards C over onto the bed rails 66. For rocking the plate 64, a short lever 68 is secured to and extends downwardly from the shaft 65, the lower end of which lever 68 is pivotally connected to the lever 69 providedwith the cam link 70 at its rear end 'which encircles the cam-disk 71 fixed to the main driving shaft 72. Formed on the'bracket 67 and extending above the bed rails 66 to either side of the path of movement of the cards 0,. are formed the bearings 73'and 74, thebearings 7 3 being secured adjacent to the main frame A, and the bearings Hat the extreme front end of the bracket 67. I The bearings 73 an d 74 mount the shafts 75 which extend through the collars 7 6 formed on the lateral ends of the plate The plate'l? will be graduallycarried forward by the i'ncreasing supply of cards being packed thereagainst by the plate (34, I,

For anchoring the cards C in place on said bed rails 66 and preventing the same from returning with the plate 64 the U- shaped rod or wire 78 is provided, the ends of which are pivotally connected to the 1upwardly extending plate portions 79 formed on the frame A and extending upward on either side of the path of movement of the cards C, being conveyed to the bed rails 66. The wire 78 has an intermediate connecting portion 80 resiliently maintained downward against the rear face of the last discharged card by the springs 81 connecting. the end portions 82 of such wire 78 with-theplate I portions 79. This wire 78 cooperates. with I the plate 64 asfollows FAS a card Giscan ried forward by the plate 64, the upperv edge of the card being so carriedwill be pressed against the intermediate portion 80 thereby thrusting it upward out of the way to permit the, card to pass thereunder, the plate 6% moving forward the supply of cardsC disposed on. the bed rail :66 and time the plate 77,-the thickness of a ,card,

and as soon as the upper edge of the card being so carried has slipped pastthe intermediate portion 80, the. Wire 78 will be free to snap against the rear face and the plate 64 will ther of such. card, (l ill bfi permitted at the same being then maintained to return to inclined position without danger of returning such last discharged card with it.

For assisting in frictionally holding the late 18 in advanced position, the friction angle-plates 83 are provided which are pivotally connected to the rearward extensions 84 of the lateral portions 17, such plates 83 haying knife-edges 85 for engaging the guide-rails 81, andsprings 86 for resiliently maintaining such knife-edges 85 in engagement with such rails 21, the knifeedges 85 being disposed at an angle to such rails 21, so that the free movement of the lateral portions 17 in a forward direction will be pen Knitted, while the knife-edges 85 will be adapted to engage into the rails 21 and frictionally hold the lateral portions 17 and therewith the bar 18 from freely moving rearward.

The operation of the initial feeding means is substantially as follows :Every time the picker-plate 54 descends to lower acard C, the rack 33 rocked forwardly by the finger 38, and the finger 31 thereby engaged by one of the teeth 37, the lower end of the pin :25 will be drawn upwardly against the pressure of the springs 27 and 28, which strain of the springs 27 and 28 will exercise a pushing strain on the bar 18 and due to a card C having been discharged, the supply of cards C on the bed rails 12 and the follower 13 will thereby be permitted to move forward the distance of a thickness of a card, the friction-plates 83 permitting free movement of the bar 18 ina forward fill". rection and frictionally taking a fresh bite on the rails 21 when the bar 18 comes to rest, thereby to prevent the return of the bar 18 with the thereupon ensuing rearward recip rocation of the rack The pin 25 will rise slightly with the rearward movement of the rack 33, but due to its springs 27 and 28 will again drop into firm engagement with a tooth 37 as soon as the rearward movement ceases. This operation of be repeated until. all the cards have into the machine, whereupon the follower l3,

against further forward movement, the pin 25 will be merely repeatedly rocked against the strains of the springs 27 and 28 When it is desired to move the bar 18 and follower 13 rearward for a fresh supply of cards C, or for any other reason, it is" only necessary to raise the {pin 25 out of coiperation with ihe'rack in which operation its notch 30 engages 5 pin 25 will be anchored out of engagement the pin 25 is raised until the plate 29 whereby the with the rack 38 and permit the free move ment of the bar 18 rearward, the friction plates 83 being at this time merely pressed. rearward to disengage them from the rails 21.

It s obvious that various changes and I the the pin '2.) Will f been modifications may be made to the details of construction and to the steps of the method without departing from the general spirit or scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. 1n combinationwith an accounting machine, a card supply, means for supporting the cards edgewise in said supply, a rack, means for actuating said rack, a follower in said card supply, and a resilient member connecting said follower with said rack so that the actuation of said rack will. actuate said follower to feed said cards face forward into said machine.

2. In combination with an accounting machine, a card supply, means for supporting the cards edgewise in said supply, a rack, means for actuating said. rack, a'follower in said card supply, a resilient member connecting said follower with said racl: so that the actuation of said rack will actuate said follower to feed said cards face forward into said machine, and friction means for anchoring st .i d follower against return movement.

8. In combination with a card accounting machine, a card supply, a transverse bar horizontally slidable in said card supply, guiding rails for said bar, a follower pivotally connected to said bar, a rack, means for actuating said rack, and a resilient member connecting said bar with said rack so that the actuation of said. rack will actuate said follower to feed said cards face forward into said machine.

4. In combination with a card accounting machine, a card supply, a, transverse bar horizontally slidable in said card supply, guiding rails for said bar, a follower pivotally connected to. said bar, a rack, means for actuating said rack, a walking pin on said bar, and means for resiliently connecting said pin in position, the pin being normally positioned to be actuated by said rac; shy to actuate saidfollower to feed said cards face forwai d into said machine.

5. in combination with a card accounting machine. a card supply, a transverse horizontally slidablc in said card supply. guiding rails for said bar, a follower piv" otally connected to said bar. a rack, means fo actuating said rack. a walking pin on said bar. means for resiliently connecting said pin in position, the pin being normally positioned to be actuated by said rack thereby to actuate said follower to feed said cards face forward into said machine, and means for anchoring said walking pin out of rack-- engaging position.

6. lo combinati on with a card accounting machine. a card supply. means for supporting the cards edgowise in said supply, a follower. a walking pin. 1 sil cntly connected to sr'd. follower a rack, and means for actuatsaid r-aa, the pin heing normally post bar tioned to be actuated by said rack thereby to actuate said follower to feed said cards face forward into said machine.

7. In combination With a card accounting machine, a card supply, means for supporting the cards edgewise in said supply, a follower, a Walking pin resiliently connected to said follower, a rack, means for actuating said rack, the pin being normally positioned to be actuated by said rack thereby to actuate said follower to feed said cards face for Ward into said -machine, and means for anchoring said Walking pin out of rack-enga in osition.

p JAMES POWERS. Witnesses:

H. I. SIEGEL, H. D. PENNEY. 

